Stranger Things, the newest mystery horror flick in Netflix, captured the hearts of viewers all over the world. Its success was attributed mainly to the 80s nostalgia featured by the 8-episode series.
Besides the old school vibe, there are also other reasons why Stranger Things was propelled to the popularity that is enjoying right now – the child actors, the equally nostalgic music.
Then there’s the Demogorgon, which is the name that the children used to refer to the monster in the series that is living in the alternate dimension of our world.
We remember the Demogorgon. It is everything that we despise – the horrific personification of our nightmares. It is something that we must stop and eliminate – and at the soonest possible time.
And if we try to think of it, Demogorgons also exist in the real world- problems that are sure to complicate and negatively impact the populace if not mitigated. It exists in USA’s public utilities.
Here are some of the Demogorgons of USA infrastructure:
- Crumbling Dams. On a normal scale, an average dam can last for 52 years. America has about 54,000 dams and most of these need repairs. The Iowa Lake Delhi incident in 2010 is just one of the reasons why we need to fast track the rehabilitation of our dams.
- Failing Bridges. The right time to pay attention to America’s disintegrating bridges was years ago. According to experts, almost 75,000 bridges in the USA are classified as structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. These bridges are in such dire state that they do not need rehabilitation anymore – they need replacements instead.
- Aging Water Pipe Systems. Americans are drinking water distributed through pipes, which are around 100 years old. Although the general population enjoys a relatively clean supply, some areas in the USA have unsafe levels of drinking water – Flint and some areas in North America to mention a few. The real problem with these century-old water system is that no one has an exact idea about its current state.
It is, thus, only advisable that the US government should start rehabilitation or replacement or consulting water utilities infrastructure management planners instead of waiting for a ticking time bomb to explode. - Congested Roads. Almost half of USA’s major roads suffer from extreme traffic condition (42%). Besides unruly or undisciplined drivers, another cause of traffic is the dire state of some of our major roads. A total of 32% of these roads is in a less than adequate state and in order to cover those potholes and other road infrastructural issues, the government needs to allow the necessary budget for their improvement.
- Poor General Infrastructure. For a superpower like America, one might think that it has prime public utilities. But guess what is the grade of USA’s infrastructures according to American Civil Society of Engineers? D+. Yep, you read that right.
In order to combat these Demogorgons in American infrastructure, the country needs the proper infrastructure asset management plans and proper funding. Or else, like what happened to Barbara in Stranger Things, everything will be too late.